Within days after a new comet is first discovered, astronomers can tell you exactly what its path through the solar system will look like. They can calculate when it will make its closest approach to the Sun, how near it will be to Earth at any given moment and even when — or whether — it’s likely to make a return visit.

What they can’t say for sure is how brilliant a show it will put on for us. Back in the 1970’s, Comet Kohoutek was billed as the “Comet of the Century,” but it turned out to be so disappointing that it ended up as a laugh line for Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show. Even a well-known comet like Halley’s, whose 1986 appearance was ballyhooed years in advance, can turn out to be a dud.

With that caveat noted, however, there’s a reasonable chance that Earth is in for a celestial display just about a year from now. Comet ISON, discovered by two amateurs — one from Belarus, one from Russia — in September, shows early signs of being truly spectacular. At its brightest, in fact, ISON could put out as much light as the full Moon but concentrated into a smaller area — and if that turns out to be true, the term “dream comet,” now floating around the internet, would be an understatement.

There’s a legitimate possibility this might indeed be the real deal: for one thing, ISON (named for the International Scientific Optical Network, of which discoverers Artyom Novichonok and Vitali Nevski members) was first seen when it was nearly 600 million miles (965 million km) from the Sun, well beyond the orbit of Jupiter. That’s unusually distant for a comet to be spotted: these interplanetary chunks of debris usually live in the frigid realms out beyond Neptune and are more or less invisible until solar heat begins boiling ice and dust from their surfaces, forming a light-reflecting halo (known technically as its coma), that makes them seem bigger than they really are.

The fact that ISON can already be seen means it may be reasonably large — perhaps a couple of miles across — which suggests that when it dips to less than a million miles (1.6 million km) above the Sun’s fires next November 28, it may be robust enough to avoid the breakup that often happens to smaller comets. And if it does survive, ISON could go on to light up the night sky in the Northern Hemisphere for much of December, 2013 and on into January.

Comet experts are also making much of the fact that ISON’s path is very similar to that of Kirch’s Comet, a.k.a. Newton’s Comet, a.k.a. the Great Comet of 1680, which was bright enough to be seen in daylight and had a magnificently long tail (it was also the first comet ever discovered with a telescope). It’s not the same object, but it’s quite possible that both are chunks of a much larger body that broke apart long ago, maybe during its own passage through the inner solar system. The fact that such larger bodies exist isn’t in doubt: Pluto, for example, is essentially a gigantic chunk of dirty ice.

If ISON is truly destined to become one of the greatest comets in history, we won’t have to wait until November to find out. By August, it will still be more than 200 million miles (320 million km) from the Sun, but that’s close enough for it to start forming its halo. How bright it is then should be a good indication of how much brighter it could get.

Even then, comet-lovers would be wise to stay calm. “Comets are like cats,” the great amateur astronomer and comet hunter David Levy, who has found 22 comets himself, has said. “They have tails, and they do precisely what they want.”

Interested in comet doomsday theories? Already the Internet is abuzz with this one (Google "comet ISON black death" and see for yourself). Want more? Comet ISON plays a role in my new just-published science fiction novel, "A Journal of the Crazy Year."

Largest ever seen in the last 200 years or more, Moon Impact Explosion March 17, 2013.

More small ones Asteroids to Impact, you
do not want to be by tall building if a big enough one impact the earth most all the tall building if not all will fall.

Father like son both Archimedes and his Father Phidias the Astronomer were well know to all wise men of their day that studied the Heavens Above. Long ago Wicked men
dried to wipe out Archimedes and his Father Phidias from the History Books.

More small ones very likely large ones less likely without notice with all the eyes looking to the Heavens Above.

The
PLANETARY DEFENSE is not to protect Earth from men from Mars.It is for all mankind with most all Nation in on it to stop if can most all collision with EARTH from a ASTEROID IMPACT. It is if you will a AVOIDANCE
SHIELD. "N.E.O.S. Near Earth Object Shield".

If only one were to hit or IMPACT EARTH on land get ready for a winter you will never forget. The winter from 1883 -1884 KRAKATOA you will think was a little pebble, and now the stone comes. Krakatoa was a great mountain till it erupted with fire and a blast heard thousands of miles away that cast that Great Mountain into the sea. The Shock Waves were felt around the Globe. The sea was full of Bodies from the Tsunamis more then 35,000 of them, the sea stayed red for weeks. 1884 was a year without a summer as the year 1816 was and many world wide Froze to Death from the KRAKATOA Event.

A Shock Wave was felt in England from a Event about 7:15 to 7:20 A.M. Siberia time in the morning in June of the year 1908 high in the sky above the Forest in the remote wilderness of Tunguska Siberia heard an explosion that laid flat more than 800 square miles of the
forest with all the trees pointing away from the center of the blast with most all the trees laying on their side. Some trees that were right below the blast were still there looking like telephone poles with no bark or branches left on them. This Asteroid did not even hit the Ground and this is known by most as the TUNGUSKA EVENT. For all that lived there it was WORMWOOD Rev 8:11 the wood became full of worms and the rivers water no longer sweet and undrinkable.

If a Meteor Shower is big enough you might think all the Stars are falling from Heaven.

About one every 100 years makes it into the Earth’s Atmosphere big enough for all to take note. Some make it to the surface the signs are all over the Planet and Moon from the ones that have.
Ron Suggs at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center watched the largest
ever seen in the last 200 years or more Moon impact explosion March 17,
2013.

If you need a visual sign of a
collided impact with a planet look to

"SHOEMAKER - LEVY 9" July 1994.

and it was
found only a year before in 1993.

The impacts lasted for hours and some pieces were over a mile in diameter.

You Need More Look up "PROJECT WORMWOOD" Revelations 8: 10 - 11 based on the "TUNGUSKA EVENT" 1908

MOSCOW Russia is now saying it will use missiles to intercept Asteroid if need be.

Better to be safe then sorry.

GET READY

Read the one and only book that will really matter the BibleWhile you still can,and May our Lord GOD Bless all that do so.John 14 : 6Luke 13 : 27Matthew 7 : 20 - 27 Matthew 12:39 Matthew 24:3 - 14

December 2013 the Heavens above COMET "C/2012 S1", "ISON".

The day will come soon enough when

ALL ON EARTH WILL SEE THIS NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE. the night side of earth will become day and day will be blinding bright. The Bow Shock from the Photo Electric Effect from the Sun's Solar
Wind will really be something.

The sun will be block out from all the space dust.

Shortly there after you will think the stars are falling from the Heavens,

REV 6:13,

REV 16:21

most will be between 60 to 80 pounds that will make it to the ground surface. Nonstop 12 to 14 hours at a time for two days.

P.S. Help others in are Lord's name Jesus Christ help bring all to know him while you still can. Three kings that were wise men once flowed a star with a long tail 2,000 years ago. That lead them to Jesus Christ wise men still look to and hear are Lord Jesus Christ.

The wicked for thousands of years have tried to wipe are LORD from the History Books.

THIS COMET ((C/ 2012 S1 (ISON)) VERY WELL COULD BE or is THE RECURRED COMET EVERY 333 YEARS IT WILL BE HEAR

DECEMBER 24 - 26, 2013

1680AD
(C/1680 V1) (GREAT COMET) (NEWTON'S COMET) (PASSED BY EARTH NOVEMBER 30, 1680) IT WAS THE BRIGHTEST IN DECEMBER

1347AD
BLACK
DEATH COMET AFTER PASSING THROUGH ITS LONG TAIL OF (COMET NEGRA)

1014AD
VERY LARGE TIDAL WAVES THE LARGEST EVER RECORDED FROM IMPACTS, ALL OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AFTER PASSING THROUGH ITS LONG TAIL. LEVELING WHOLE CITIES AND TOWN THAT WERE MILES INLAND.

680 - 685AD

IF THIS IS THAT COMET IT HAS BEEN SEEN FROM EARTH FOR MANY THOUSANDS OF YEARS. ITS TAIL LAST TIME AROUND WAS AT 90 TO 96,000,000 MILLION MILES LONG, EARTH IS ONLY 92,960,000 MILLION MILES FROM THE SUN. ITS TAIL IS MUCH LONGER EACH TIME IT COMES BACK. HOW LONG THIS TIME?

As it was in Noah's day nobody would listen to him giving the warning. Many thought it was funny till the rain water from the Comet would not stop for days on end. Very Sad for many will be sorry.

Pray for your love ones and lead them to our LORD while you can.

Matthew 24:37

The Lord's Little HelperPaul Felix Schott

May 16, 2013

PS

Earth will be going right through its tail path in January 14-16, 2014

This is the Bible Codes Comet. We've been talking about it for 5 years at http://comet2012.com. The Bible Codes clearly predicted this event. There was confusion that the event was going to take place in 2012 until it was realized that comets are named in the year in which they are found.

What all these articles miss: the only time it MIGHT be as bright as the full moon is when it is VERY
VERY CLOSE to the sun in the daytime sky. If it survives the close encounter
with the sun, by the time it gets into a dark sky (REQUIRED for a
spectacular show), it will probably be at most 1/100th as bright as the full
moon. That still could be a marvelous sky show, but for the full
effect, you'll have to get to a dark observing site early in the morning
just before dawn the first week of Dec.

IF IT IS NOT THE SAME COMET HOW COME I CAN TRACE THE PERIODIC RETURN (333 YEARS) FOR THE LAST FOUR REVOLUTIONS BEFORE THE PATTERN VARIES TO 340+ YEARS? LETTER TO THE EDITOR

ENCLOSED IS PART OF THE UNTOLD STORY OF COMET ISON WHCIH HAS BEEN SEEN QUITE REGULARLY THROUGH OUT HISTORY: IT MAY EVEN BE THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM. THERE'S MORE TO THE STORY IF YOU WOULD LKE IT.

2013 - THE YEAR OF THE COMET THE UNTOLD STORYOn Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 3:49 PMNOVEMBER 2013 COMET ISON:(1) CALLED BY ONE ASTRONOMER A "ONCE IN A CIVILIZATION" COMET, IT MAY ACTUALLY BE A ONCE IN 333 YEARS COMET; TWIN IN ORBIT TO THE GREAT COMET OF 1680 WHICH SO TERRIFIED EUROPEANS AND NEW ENGLANDERS THAT DAYS OF FASTING AND ATONEMENT WERE ORDERED IN NEW YORK CITY AND GERMANY!(2) GOTTFRIED KIRCH, AN ALMANAC AUTHOR, WHO WAS THE FIRST TO USE A TELESCOPE TO SEARCH FOR COMETS -" IT WAS 1ST SEEN 14 NOVEMBER AS A MORNING STAR BUT DID NOT BECOME SPECTACULAR UNTIL AFTER IT CIRCLED THE SUN (PERIHELION) 24 DECEMBER: EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS: [IT HAD] "TERRIBLE APPEARANCE, SEEMED AS THOUGH THE HEAVENS WERE BURNING AS IF THE VERY AIR WAS ON FIRE." -ENGLAND 16 DECEMBER "NOT FAR FROM THE HORIZON IT FILLED THE SKY -SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST".(3) UNDER THE NAME COMET NEGRA IN 1347 IT HERALDED THE BUBONIC PLAGUE OR BLACK DEATH OF 1347 -1352 WHEREIN DIED 1/4 OF EUROPE (25 MILLION)- 15 MILLION IN CHINA. ONE EARLY ASTRONOMER NOTES -"BEGINNING 17 DECEMBER THERE BEGAN IN THE MORNING SKY A GREAT BAND OF FIRE - NORTH TO SOUTH" -EXACTLY AS IT APPEARED IN 1680.(4) FURTHER INTO ANTIQUITY, NO LESSER SOURCE THAN NAZI-HUNTER ELIE WIESEL PROVIDES EVIDENCE IN HIS NOVEL ABOUT A GREAT ANCESTOR -RASHI -ABOUT RABBI SHLOMO YITZCHAKI GREAT BIBLICAL AND TALMUDIC COMMENTATOR OF THE MIDDLE AGES: "APOCALYPTIC MOOD PREVAILED AROUND 1000AD FURTHER INFLAMED BY APPEARANCE OF A FIERY COMET IN 1014." EXACTLY 1347 -333 YEARS! THIS ANTICIPATED VIEWING OF COMET ISON READS A LOT LIKE LUKE 21:27 IF WE GET THE SAME PERFORMANCE AS IN 1680. ONLY TIME WILL TELL.

I thought the article was going to say that THIS was the way the world might end. I'm 63. I've been through innumerable 'ends of the world'. And I don't see what's so great about seeing a comet. Who cares. Much ado about nothing. It's a bright 'thingie' streaking through the sky. Big deal.

Why is it that over the years when I`ve seen mentions of comet Kohoutek, they always say that it was a "dud". I recall seeing it a few times around late afternoon during Feb. of 1974 ( DURING DAYLIGHT, by the way); and it was one of the more impressive comets that I`VE ever seen.

This probably does signal the end of the world. I urge everyone to have unprotected sex with large vegetables and eat plenty of candy. If the world doesn't end, you'll just be a fat pervert. There are worse things that could happen.

try reading about history. Alexandria's library. and the knowledge from all over the world that was kept there. when it was burnt to the ground. of the many stones with tex of things we r only rediscovering today. at the battery they found that used lemon juice to power something? or the many things found under the sea from ship wreaks, of the looted treasures of there enemies. now just being found.

@CometCon The explanation usually hypothesised for the similarity between the two comets is that one comet split into two, only one of which remains, not the Great Comet seen in the past. By the way, the photo to which I posted a link earlier today looks as if it was taken in daylight, but that is just because the long exposure made everything appear much lighter than it actually was at the time.

@CometCon In other words, please learn a little more about orbital mechanics. A comet's orbital eccentricity determines its period. Comet Halley's eccentricity is 0.967 and the period is 75.3 years. Ikeya-Zhang, the longest "short" period comet, has an eccentricity of 0.990098 and returns every 366 years. The Great Comet of 1680 has an eccentricity of 0.999986 and a period of approx 10,000 years! Comet ISON's eccentricity is currently calculated to be 1.0000015, which means it will never come back. An eccentricity greater than one results in a parabolic or hyperbolic orbit, not an ellipse.

@showmemike HI -ACTUALLY SCIENTISTS ARE LOOKING AT 5BC AS THE TARGET BASED ON CHINESE ASTRONOMERS -IF THIS IS THE SAME COMET - WHICH I PROPOSE, THE ORBIT VARIES SLIGHTLY BEFORE 1014 (336 YRS) A SPECTACULAR COMET WAS SEEN IN 678AD IN ENGLAND, AND MANY INCREASE UP TO 340 YRS -"CONSTANTINE'S COMET" IN 337 AD - THIS WOULD TAKE US TO 3 BC - GOOD ENOUGH FOR GOVT WORK AS THEY SAY.

@showmemike The Chinese kept careful records of the appearance of comets. If a bright one was noted around the time of Jesus' birth, we would already know about it and people would have mentioned it about a million times before today. Nice try though.

@showmemike , Have you ever gone out just before dawn on Dec 25th, the date the SUN rises, perceptably, moving North, after being "dead", not moving N or S for three days, as it rolls around the end at the Winter Solestice? Just before dawn, Orion rises in the East. The 3 belt stars in Orion have been called "The Three Kings" for many thousands of years.

If you draw a line through the 3 Kings left and extend it you will intersect Sirius, the brightest star in the sky....The Star In The East... Continue the line to the horizon, on Dec 25th, when the Sun is "born again" for another year, much to the RELIEF of the superstitious humans praying to thousands of imaginary gods it won't just keep going, freezing them all to death...and you'll discover that at dawn, this imaginary line points to the "newly born again" rising Sun.

The observation by these ancient barbarians is copied by a long list of bronze-age religions, including yours....

you can tell u hv never read the bible. 1 its dose say the earth is round.It is he that sits upon the circle of the earth" (Isaiah 40:22). This is not a reference to a flat disk . t. Luke 17:34–36 says the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will occur while some are asleep at night and others are working at daytime activities in the field. This is a clear indication of a revolving earth, with day and night at the same time. 2. the 3 wise man were astrologers who studied the movements of the the skies. and trusted in Gods word. and many more verses that that speak of the same thiing. if ur going to quote something as wrong try reading it first dumbass. I feel sorry for fools like you who quote from that they no not of.

@rocksnstars@ChristineJZ Your SO RIGHT! I DO NEED HELP! lol. My son LOVES this stuff and I'm glad he does, of course. He still has the sense of wonder at the universe. That's good. Sorry to be such a cynic. I just can't get excited about it. I DO get excited about some thing...like riding my Harley, so I'm not entirely emotionless. But the sky stuff doesn't excite me in the least. But that's just me and I've always been the odd woman out!

@CometCon@showmemike not that i take much credibility in this theory, but it might explain some of the differences in orbit timing: www.jmccanneyscience.com/JamesMcCanneyScienceHour_October_04_2012.mp3

@heliocracy@showmemike ACTUALLY CHINESE AND KOREAN ASTRONOMERS DID RECORD THE PASSAGE OF A BROOM STAR (AS THEY CALLED THEM) IN 5 BC -MANY SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THIS THE EVENT SPOKEN OF IN MATHEW. WHY NOT THE ROMANS? WOULD YOU WANT TO SPUR ON A RADICAL SECT?

@LarryButler The Christian faith does not believe that Jesus was born on December 25th. That is when the pagans were celebrating winter solstice and the Catholics at the time moved the commemoration of Jesus's birth do that date to downplay the pagans. Originally it was celebrated on January 6th, but it is widely believed that Jesus was born in September. So there goes that.

@ChristineJZ@rocksnstars beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the ear of the listener, the mind of the reader. not everyone is going to like everything. i just don't understand people making negative comments on things in which they are not interested. i don't make negative comments on articles about motorcycles. and the way to not get old is to cultivate a sense of wonder. this is constructive criticism, so please don't be offended. but, are you saying you looked at the photo of that comet, and it's still who cares?

@KrystalWeber @LarryButler The christian faith has no idea what YEAR he was born, IF AT ALL. It's all myth and political conjecture. If a live being could cure the sick and regenerate dead Roman soldiers, no Roman would ever allow a stupid cleric in a funny hat anywhere near him/it as he would have been the most important military discovery in history! Romans knew a good weapon when they found one. But, alas, nobody even took the time to paint his REALTIME picture, adding to the idea it was all invented myth to kickstart the new clergy money machine, which has been very successful.

No drawings, no realtime records, too much conveniently missing and that idea of raising dead Romans with a wave of the hand...not to mention turning water into BOOZE!....all points to imaginary MYTH.